Chief of Staff to former Governor Nasir El-Rufai of Kaduna State, Alhaji Bashir Sa’idu, has been returned to remand in the Correctional Facility.
This follows the adjournment of his bail application hearing by the Kaduna State High Court on Tuesday, with a new date set for Thursday, 23rd January 2025.
The former Chief of Staff and former Commissioner for Finance was charged before the Kaduna State High Court II on 10 counts related to alleged money laundering, embezzlement, and theft.
The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) had filed similar charges against the former Commissioner in another State High Court.
When the case was called before Justice Isa Aliyu on Tuesday, the 10 charges were read to the defendant, who pleaded not guilty.
Among the charges, it was alleged that the former Commissioner sold $45 million in hard currency belonging to the Kaduna State Government—equivalent to ₦18,450,000,000—at the significantly undervalued rate of ₦410 per dollar, instead of the parallel market rate of ₦498 per dollar, with criminal intent. This transaction allegedly resulted in a ₦3,960,000,000 loss to the government.
According to the prosecution, the offence occurred in 2022 when Sa’idu served as Commissioner for Finance in El-Rufai’s administration.
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The prosecution further alleged that the ₦3,960,000,000 discrepancy was laundered by Sa’idu, in violation of Section 18 of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.
Counsel for the defendant, M.I. Abubakar, notified the court of a pending bail application, urging the court to grant bail as his client, Alhaji Bashir Sa’idu, had already spent 21 days in custody since his arrest on 2nd January 2025.
Abubakar noted that the bail application had been filed before the court on 16th January, arguing that granting Sa’idu bail would allow him adequate time and facilities to prepare his defence.
Prosecution Counsel, Prof. Nasiru Aliyu, however, raised an objection to the bail application, arguing that the law allows the prosecution seven days to file its response.
After a 40-minute recess, Justice Aliyu ruled that the prosecution would be given the time prescribed by law to file its response to the bail application.
The case was adjourned until 23rd January 2025 for the hearing of the bail application.
